Shkodran Mustafi's Premier League 'Days Are Gone,' Says Jamie Carragher

Jamie Carragher has said he feels Shkodran Mustafi's "days are gone" as a Premier League defender, saying it would be in the Gunners' best interests to sell the 2014 World Cup winner.

Mustafi, 27, is yet to feature in a Premier League matchday squad this season, but the German played the full 90 minutes when Arsenal exited the Carabao Cup fourth round at Liverpool on Wednesday. Mustafi scored an own-goal to give the Reds the lead en route to a 5-5 draw at Anfield, where they lost 5-4 on penalties.

Former Liverpool defender Carragher told Sky Sports the centre-back's frequent gaffes at the back are having a detrimental effect on other Arsenal players, per Goal's Sean Wilson:

“I think those days are gone—Mustafi playing in the Premier League.

“He's just one of those defenders (that makes mistakes). When someone does that it makes others nervous. You can't play your own game because you're half covering for him.

“I think once he goes it will be better for everyone at Arsenal."

Unai Emery doesn't look likely to bring the player back into the league fold unless there's a new injury crisis in central defence. It's a bleak outlook for a player who was signed from Valencia for £35 million in August 2016.

Mustafi received some praise for his overall performance at Anfield despite the fact a second-string Arsenal conceded five times—the fourth consecutive match in which they've failed to keep a clean sheet:

David Luiz and Sokratis Papastathopoulos have been Arsenal's first-choice centre-backs under Emery this season, while fit-again Rob Holding also appears to outrank Mustafi.

Mustafi—who has been prominent in cup competitions and kept clean sheets in three of his five appearances this season—took to Twitter in response to Wednesday's narrowly decided result:

The arrival of Luiz in the summer gave Arsenal an important touch of experience in central defence, though Emery's squad still looks top-heavy in attack.

It's true Mustafi's mistakes became something of a running gag last season, but he isn't the only Arsenal centre-back to have fluffed his lines in front of their own goal this campaign, per Squawka:

Konstantinos Mavropanos, 21, is another centre-back recently returned to fitness who could work his way up to fourth choice in the pecking order.

Mustafi has made 84 Premier League appearances for Arsenal, but the defender's poor performances may mean his days in England's top flight are already over.